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CARLSBAD, Calif. (July 10, 2007) - NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car points leader Ron Capps has been pretty mellow during this difficult stretch of six national events in a row. This weekend's Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway is the fourth of the six and he feels the Brut Dodge "Test Drive" team is clearly on target towards a spot in the top eight for the Countdown to the Championship.
With a 120-point lead in the Funny Car rankings over Robert Hight, Capps and crew chief Ed "Ace" McCulloch are actually learning "some things" during this stretch, according to Capps, who'll be looking for his first win at Bandimere.
"We're going to one of the toughest places on Earth in Denver, and this event is always very hard on parts," said Capps, who has won three events so far this season, more than any other Funny Car driver. "I feel like we have the best crew going up there. And Ace is obviously very good with all of the parts and equipment and his tune-up, so I'm looking forward to a good weekend. Besides, this is a Mopar race and they always do it up big.
"It's the first of the next three races that are going to be exciting. We're just trying to keep ourselves up in the Chase and be ready for the battle.
"Bandimere is a very tricky place for a crew chief and a driver. The car is always a couple of tenths slower than it is at sea level. So you really have to get your mind set to the car sounding differently, feeling differently, and the run taking longer. Just imagine these engines trying to breathe up there and create horsepower.
"We've learned a lot of things in this swing so far," Capps added. "I told Ace Saturday in Bristol (last weekend at Bristol Dragway) that the 4.86 (quickest of that qualifying round in the heat) we ran on Saturday for me was the run of the year so far. For him to roll out and get us lane choice with an .86 was so impressive.
"Ace learned something very interesting in the second round, which we lost, and I really think it's going to help us in the heat when we get to Seattle and Sonoma and Brainerd. It is something we can definitely use down the road.
"The Denver race is always a lot of fun. My daughter Taylor is coming for the first time without her little brother Caden and she's really excited about that. My wife Shelley and I always look forward to the Big Block Party downtown in Golden that Mopar puts on every year.
"This year we're gong to have a raft race with some of the Mopar drivers. I don't know whether to wear my good clothes or not because I have a feeling I'm going to be in the water."
RON CAPPS QUICK FACTS:
* Leading 2007 Funny Car point standings after back-to-back wins in Gainesville and Houston, another win in St. Louis, two runner-up, two semifinal, two quarterfinal, two first-round finishes and a DNQ in first 12 races
* Leads Robert Hight in rankings by 120 points
* Has never won at Bandimere Speedway
* No. 5 qualifier at Bandimere in 2006, lost first round to Bob Gilbertson
* Third in 2006 final point standings
* Had class-best five wins in 2006: Gainesville, Fla., Bristol, Tenn., Topeka, Kan., Houston and Englishtown, N.J.
* Had three wins, four runner-up finishes in 2005 (St. Louis was his first
win for DSR in '05), won at Chicago 2 at Route 66 Raceway and Las Vegas 2
* 2005 Funny Car championship runner-up, eight points short of title
* Qualified No. 1 once in 2005, in Dallas; first time since Brainerd 2000
* Has seven career No. 1 qualifiers, none in 2006 or 2007 so far
* A perennial fan favorite, Capps has driven and won in both Top Fuel and Funny Cars since he began his pro NHRA career in 1995
* His best season points finishes were seconds in Funny Car in 1998, 2000 and 2005
* He has 25 event wins in 50 final rounds to his credit (24 national event wins in Funny Car, one in Top Fuel)
* His career-best elapsed time (established during an event) is 4.694 seconds, set in 2005 in Dallas
* His career-best speed is 331.61 mph (Pomona 1, '07)
* Capps' career record against 14-time champion Force is 17-38 in round wins. He's won nine of the last 11 meetings against Force, and has won the last four first-round match-ups over Force
* Age 42 (June 20, 1965); born and raised in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
* Lives in Carlsbad, Calif., with wife Shelley and daughter Taylor (10) and son Caden (5)
* Is featured, along with son Caden and the Brut Revolution racing crew, in a number of Brut ads appearing in mainstream magazines, such as People, Sports Illustrated, etc.
* New to Don Schumacher Racing in 2005 after eight years with Don Prudhomme.
* Has tested for IROC Series and competed in Skip Barber Formula Ford, Dirt Late Models, Mini-Sprints and Go-Karts
* Is the subject, along with teammate Tony Schumacher, in the behind-the-scenes TV series, American Dragster, airing on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, July 13 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 4:45 and 7:15 p.m.
SATURDAY, July 14 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 1:15 and 4:15 p.m.
SUNDAY, July 15 - Pre-race ceremonies, 11 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at noon.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, July 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 6 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, July 15, ESPN2 and ESPN 2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, July 15, ESPN2 and ESPN 2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage at 9 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, July 13, 11 — 11:30 p.m. (ET) – SBS 6/Transponder 16K (Downlink frequency: 12092.5, vertical, analog)
Saturday, July 14, 8:30 — 9 p.m. (ET) – SBS 6/Transpoinder 16K (Downlink frequency: 12092.5, vertical, analog)
Sunday, July 15, 9 — 9:30 p.m. (ET) – SBS 6/Transponder 16K (Downlink frequency: 12092.5, vertical, analog)
CAPPS LOOKING FOR FIRST DENVER WIN
CARLSBAD, Calif. (July 10, 2007) - NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car points leader Ron Capps has been pretty mellow during this difficult stretch of six national events in a row. This weekend's Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway is the fourth of the six and he feels the Brut Dodge "Test Drive" team is clearly on target towards a spot in the top eight for the Countdown to the Championship.
With a 120-point lead in the Funny Car rankings over Robert Hight, Capps and crew chief Ed "Ace" McCulloch are actually learning "some things" during this stretch, according to Capps, who'll be looking for his first win at Bandimere.
"We're going to one of the toughest places on Earth in Denver, and this event is always very hard on parts," said Capps, who has won three events so far this season, more than any other Funny Car driver. "I feel like we have the best crew going up there. And Ace is obviously very good with all of the parts and equipment and his tune-up, so I'm looking forward to a good weekend. Besides, this is a Mopar race and they always do it up big.
"It's the first of the next three races that are going to be exciting. We're just trying to keep ourselves up in the Chase and be ready for the battle.
"Bandimere is a very tricky place for a crew chief and a driver. The car is always a couple of tenths slower than it is at sea level. So you really have to get your mind set to the car sounding differently, feeling differently, and the run taking longer. Just imagine these engines trying to breathe up there and create horsepower.
"We've learned a lot of things in this swing so far," Capps added. "I told Ace Saturday in Bristol (last weekend at Bristol Dragway) that the 4.86 (quickest of that qualifying round in the heat) we ran on Saturday for me was the run of the year so far. For him to roll out and get us lane choice with an .86 was so impressive.
"Ace learned something very interesting in the second round, which we lost, and I really think it's going to help us in the heat when we get to Seattle and Sonoma and Brainerd. It is something we can definitely use down the road.
"The Denver race is always a lot of fun. My daughter Taylor is coming for the first time without her little brother Caden and she's really excited about that. My wife Shelley and I always look forward to the Big Block Party downtown in Golden that Mopar puts on every year.
"This year we're gong to have a raft race with some of the Mopar drivers. I don't know whether to wear my good clothes or not because I have a feeling I'm going to be in the water."
RON CAPPS QUICK FACTS:
* Leading 2007 Funny Car point standings after back-to-back wins in Gainesville and Houston, another win in St. Louis, two runner-up, two semifinal, two quarterfinal, two first-round finishes and a DNQ in first 12 races
* Leads Robert Hight in rankings by 120 points
* Has never won at Bandimere Speedway
* No. 5 qualifier at Bandimere in 2006, lost first round to Bob Gilbertson
* Third in 2006 final point standings
* Had class-best five wins in 2006: Gainesville, Fla., Bristol, Tenn., Topeka, Kan., Houston and Englishtown, N.J.
* Had three wins, four runner-up finishes in 2005 (St. Louis was his first
win for DSR in '05), won at Chicago 2 at Route 66 Raceway and Las Vegas 2
* 2005 Funny Car championship runner-up, eight points short of title
* Qualified No. 1 once in 2005, in Dallas; first time since Brainerd 2000
* Has seven career No. 1 qualifiers, none in 2006 or 2007 so far
* A perennial fan favorite, Capps has driven and won in both Top Fuel and Funny Cars since he began his pro NHRA career in 1995
* His best season points finishes were seconds in Funny Car in 1998, 2000 and 2005
* He has 25 event wins in 50 final rounds to his credit (24 national event wins in Funny Car, one in Top Fuel)
* His career-best elapsed time (established during an event) is 4.694 seconds, set in 2005 in Dallas
* His career-best speed is 331.61 mph (Pomona 1, '07)
* Capps' career record against 14-time champion Force is 17-38 in round wins. He's won nine of the last 11 meetings against Force, and has won the last four first-round match-ups over Force
* Age 42 (June 20, 1965); born and raised in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
* Lives in Carlsbad, Calif., with wife Shelley and daughter Taylor (10) and son Caden (5)
* Is featured, along with son Caden and the Brut Revolution racing crew, in a number of Brut ads appearing in mainstream magazines, such as People, Sports Illustrated, etc.
* New to Don Schumacher Racing in 2005 after eight years with Don Prudhomme.
* Has tested for IROC Series and competed in Skip Barber Formula Ford, Dirt Late Models, Mini-Sprints and Go-Karts
* Is the subject, along with teammate Tony Schumacher, in the behind-the-scenes TV series, American Dragster, airing on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, July 13 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 4:45 and 7:15 p.m.
SATURDAY, July 14 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 1:15 and 4:15 p.m.
SUNDAY, July 15 - Pre-race ceremonies, 11 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at noon.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, July 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 6 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, July 15, ESPN2 and ESPN 2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, July 15, ESPN2 and ESPN 2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage at 9 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, July 13, 11 — 11:30 p.m. (ET) – SBS 6/Transponder 16K (Downlink frequency: 12092.5, vertical, analog)
Saturday, July 14, 8:30 — 9 p.m. (ET) – SBS 6/Transpoinder 16K (Downlink frequency: 12092.5, vertical, analog)
Sunday, July 15, 9 — 9:30 p.m. (ET) – SBS 6/Transponder 16K (Downlink frequency: 12092.5, vertical, analog)
